Hammocks



Nov. 22, 1960 w. cUsHMAN HAMMOCKS Filed July 13, 1959 JNVENTOR. v/ ALToN w. CUVSRHMAN United States This invention relates to a hammock.

An important object of the invention is to provide a hammock of simplified construction which lends itself well to economical large scale production.

A further object is to provide a hammock which is readily foldable against the wall in a substantially fiat condition when not in use, and which includes novel and simplified means for adjusting and tensioning the bed portion thereof.

A further important object is to provide a hammock formed entirely of material which is resistant to deterioration caused by the weather, micro-organisms and the like.

Still another object is to provide a hammock of the knock-down type which is easy to assemble and disassemble and highly compact for packaging and shipment.

A further object is to provide a hammock of the abovementioned character which obtains its swing from the inherent elasticity of the bed or body portion of the hammock.

' Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout theV same,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hammock assembled for use.- Y Y f Figure 2 is a side elevation of the hammock.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the bed portion of the hammock, partly in section.

Figure 5 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a connection between the hammock bed portion and supporting frame.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral designates generally a supporting frame including a pair of separately formed identical frame sides 11. Each frame side 11 includes a lower longitudinal section 12 and end upstanding legs or sections 13 formed integral with the longitudinal section 12, as shown. The frame sides 11 are substantially rigid and are preferably formed by molding of a suitable hardenable plastics material, reinforced with sisal fibers, glass filaments or the like. The frame sides 11 may be formed quite thin in cross section, as indicated, for the sake of lightness.

The hammock further comprises a generally rectangular bed portion 14 of one piece construction, and preferably molded from rubber, synthetic rubber or some other suitable elastomer. The bed portion 14 includes tapered end extensions 15, which preferably increase gradually in thickness toward their outer ends as best shown in Figure 2.

Formed integral with the end extensions 15 are molded screw-threaded attaching elements 16 of suicient length to afford the desired adjustability for the bed portion 1.4 for tensioning or loosening the same, as will be further atent O m described. The attaching elements 16 project longitudinally beyondthe tapered extensions 15 of the hammock bed portion and are disposed in longitudinal alignment, at the transverse center of the bed portion.

The elastomeric bed portion 14 is provided With marginal beads 17 which contain exible steel cables 18 molded therein when the bed portion 14 is fabricated, and extensions 19 and 20 of the cables 18 are also molded or embedded in the margins of the tapered extensions 15 and in the screw-threaded attaching elements 16, as shown in Figure 4. The marginal steel cables 18 impart strength to the bed portion 14 and prevent tearing of the same during use.

Transverse stilfening rods 21 of plastics material or the like are also molded Within the bed portion 14 transversely thereof at the inner ends of the tapered extensions 15 when the bed portion is fabricated, and these stilfening rods maintain the extensions 15 generally flat, while permitting the bed portion proper to flex and conform to the body during use.

The bed portion 14 inwardly of the extensions 15 is apertured over its entire area as at 22 to provide ventilation.

The upper ends of the legs 13 of frame sides 11 carry tubular interfitting knuckles 23 and 24, as shown, which knuckles are adapted to receive axially therein the screwthreaded attaching elements 16 when the hammock is set up for use. Tubular nuts 25 such as conventional aluminum T nuts with rolled internal screw-threads engage within the interfitting knuckles 23 and 24 and receive adjustably the screw-threaded attaching elements 16 of the hammock bed portion. The nuts 25 have enlarged heads 26 at their outer ends which bear against the outermost tubular knuckle 24 in assembly. If preferred, the T nuts 25 m-ay be formed of plastics material with molded internal screw-threads.

The frame sides 11 are inclined and converge upwardly in use, Figure l, and the tops of the legs 13 are hingedly connected through the medium of the knuckles 23 and 24 and the tubular nuts 25. To resiliently resist spreading apart of the lower ends of the frame sides 11, the latter are detachably connected transversely by rubber or rub` ber-like straps 27, having enlarged ends or beads 28 en` gageable through openings 29 formed through the legs 13, ner and above their lower ends. The openings 29 cornmunicate with longitudinal slots 30 in the legs 13, which slots receive the end portions of the straps 27. The slots 30 are narrower than the thickness of the beads 28 so that the latter will not be pulled through the slots, but can only be passed through the openings 29 when the straps 27 are applied to or removed from the hammock structure.

The bed portion 14 is adjustable longitudinally to provide the desired tension upon the same merely by turning the nuts 25 while the same are engaged within the knuckles 23 and 24 and while the nuts have screw-threaded engagement with the attaching elements 16.

' The hammock obtains its swing or oscillation from the inherent elasticity of the bed portion 14, particularly the elasticity of the tapered extensions 15 which increase in thickness beyond the ends of the rectangular bed portion proper as defined by the transverse stiffening rods 21. At their outermost ends, the tapered extensions 15 have substantially the same thickness as the screw-'threaded attaching extensions or elements 16, See Figure 2. This construction imparts to the hammock bed portion a great deal of stability during use, which renders the hammock more safe thanconventional hammocks and yet allows the bed portion to swing or oscillate quite freely. The arrangement described also causes the elastic bed portion 14 to return automatically to a level substantially taut position as shown in the drawings, when not in use. The

Patented Nov. 22, 1960V hammock is very comfortable, and the elastic bed portion 14 conforms readily to the body of the user.

When desired. the lower ends of the frame sides 11 may be swung together and the entire hammock structure may be folded away against a wall or upon the loor in a at condition. The entire hammock structure embodies only seven parts, and the structure is very easy to assemble or disassemble, as should be obvious.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A hammock comprising a unitary bed portion formed of rubber-like material and having tapered end extensions which increase in thickness toward their outer ends, screwthreaded longitudinal attaching elements integral with the outer ends of said extensions, tubular nuts adjustably receiving said attaching elements and having heads upon their outer ends, a pair of separately formed unitary frame sides which converge upwardly in use and provided at their upper extremities with integral intertting knuckles rotatably receiving the tubular nuts therein and thereby forming a hinge joint between the upper ends of the frame sides, said heads of the nuts bearing against the outermost knuckles of the frame sides in assembly, and means interconnecting the frame sides near their lower ends to resist spreading apart of such lower ends while the hammock is in use.

2. A hammock structure comprising a stretchable bed portion, screw-threaded attaching elements carried by opposite ends of the bed portion, a pair of separately formed frame sides to support the bed portion, said frame sides including upstanding legs near opposite ends of the frame sides, intertting hinge knuckles secured to the tops of said legs, internally screw-threaded tubular nuts rotatably mounted within said intertting hinge knuckles and adjustably receiving the screw-threaded attaching elements and having screw-threaded engagement therewith, said nuts and hinge knuckles serving to hingedly connect the tops of said legs of the frame sides, the frame sides being inclined and upwardly converging in use, and stretchable members detachably interconnecting the frame sides near their bottoms and opposite ends and serving to yieldably limit separation of the bottoms of the frame sides.

3. A hammock structure comprising a one piece stretchable bed portion formed of rubber-like material and including tapered ends having integral longitudinally extending screw-threaded end attaching elements, reinforcing flexible elements embedded within the marginal edge portions of the rubber-like bed portion, screw-threaded tubular adjusting nuts receiving said end attaching elements of the bed portion, a supporting frame, and tubular bearing means mounted upon the top of the supporting frame near opposite ends thereof and rotatably receiving said tubular adjusting nuts, rotation of said nuts upon said bearing means serving to tighten or relax the stretchable bed portion.

4. A hammock structure according to claim 3, and transverse stiffening elements embedded within the rubber-like bed portion near said tapered ends thereof.

5. A hammock structure according to claim 2, wherein said stretchable members are a pair of rubber-like straps having enlarged beads at their opposite ends, said frame sides having slot means formed therethrough to receive said straps, the slot means being narrower than said beads and preventing the beads from being pulled through the slots when said straps are under tension, said frame sides also having openings communicating with said slot means and adapted to receive said beads when the straps are applied to or removed from the frame sides.

6. A hammock comprising a unitary hammock bed portion formed entirely of elastic rubber-like material and having end screw-threaded attaching elements integral therewith, tubular supporting and adjusting nuts having enlarged heads receiving said end attaching elements, a pair of unitary frame sides to support the hammock bed portion, and intertting knuckles carried by the tops of said frame sides and rotatably receiving said nuts and supporting the same with the hammock bed portion, said heads of the nuts abutting the outermost knuckles at opposite ends of the frame sides.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,159,192 Dudley Nov. 2, 1915 1,242,867 Robinson Oct. 9, 1917 1,266,927 Eberle May 21, 1918 1,542,260 Marston June 16, 1925 

